West Lothian College hosts Teach-In With local schools to promote sustainability

The UN SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Teach-In initiative encourages educators to include the sustainable goals in their teaching and learning.

The UN sustainability goals include; no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, climate action, and sustainable cities and communities.

The college held a four-day event from 6 March until 9 March that saw more that 550 West Lothian primary pupils and their teachers get involved in outdoor activity, den building and artwork while incorporating the 17 sustainability goals, as well as getting creative with making new clothes from old clothing, and making homes for nature’s animals.

Among the activities, The City of Play and The Cube Project were on campus to promote sustainability and allow the pupils to to understand risky play while being supported by the college’s HNC and HND Childhood Practice students

 West Lothian College lecturer, Julie Brechin, said:

“This was our fourth Big Build with The City of Play and involved primary children of all ages, from nursery right through to primary seven. We held four sessions over the four-day Teach-In event with over 100 pupils working with our students, building dens with pallets.”

Mia McGregor, founder of The Cube Project, added:

“The Cube Project is the largest participatory artwork in Europe. Outdoors at West Lothian College, we were looking at the sustainability goals and getting the school kids out to record what those goals mean to them on the sides of each of the wooden cubes we had on display. They will be then used as a piece of artwork in the future.”

Jackie Galbraith, principal of West Lothian College, said:

“Saving our planet for future generations is something we all need to pay attention to and I am so proud of the work that West Lothian College staff and students are doing on this. Our campus was buzzing with eco awareness all week and I would like to thank Caroline Jarvis and Anna Styles for their outstanding leadership on building sustainability into college courses.”